I've been meaning to read a book by Georgia Hill for ages, and been looking forward to the release of this book for almost the whole of 2017, so needless to say it was only a few days after I got my hands on a copy that I had to start reading it.
Was it worth the wait?..
...yes absolutely, I loved it, the three original parts of the book all could work as individual standalone novellas, but when combined into one book, make a simply marvellous story, with plenty going on at all times, and you end up feeling a real part of Berecombe.
I loved Millie's cupcake cafe, it sounded such a great part of the community, and all the food sounded really delicious. However normally its at this point in a review for a cafe book I say how hungry I felt reading it, and actually there was so many storylines, and great characters and the pace of the book was so much, that I found the food was really just a small part of the book. Which made for a nice refreshing change.
There are romances threaded throughout the book, and in each of the three parts, there was a key secondary character that was getting a good amount of chapters dedicated to them, so we got to know three of Millie's friends really well too.
The other main thread at the heart of the book is whether the cupcake cafe will be able to survive a big multinational chain cafe opening in the same town. It really was a David and Goliath style battle, and all the time I couldn't help feel sorry for Millie for even having to deal with it all.
This is a fabulous story to read at this rainy miserable time of year, as it will warm you up with its heartwarming qualities, have you gripped as you work out just whether or not Jed can be trusted, and awwing with some of the romances playing out.
It is also a book that has one rather memorable scene forever imprinted on my mind, and it may not be a good thing although hilarious involving the pensioners - Biddy and Arthur! In fact there are a few truly memorable scenes involving Biddy, especially in relation to her working life!
Really enjoyed reading every moment of this wonderful book, which did start a bit slow in the first part and then as I became more involved and knew who the cast of characters were, had me loving it completely.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Impulse for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.